Riverside County Secures New Funding to Combat DUI Cases -- As Experts Continue to call for stricter laws

Riverside County has received new funding to continue its long-running efforts to prosecute DUI cases — a grant officials say has been critical in securing convictions for more than a decade. The announcement comes just days after a man was charged with murder for the DUI crash that killed 14-year-old Liam Cantu.

Experts, however, warn that California’s overall DUI laws may be too weak to prevent tragedies like this from happening.

For 14 years, Riverside County has relied on this specialized DUI prosecution grant to hold impaired drivers accountable and ensure consistency and transparency in the legal process. The nearly $1 million grant awarded to the Riverside County District Attorney’s Office supports a vertical prosecution team of four deputy district attorneys dedicated solely to handling driving-under-the-influence-of-drugs cases. This team oversees each case from the initial arrest through final prosecution.

County officials report that since the Office of Traffic Safety expanded its funding in 2014 to cover DUI cases countywide, conviction rates for impaired drivers have more than doubled.

A new CalMatters investigation suggests that loopholes in California’s legal system are failing to keep dangerous repeat offenders off the road. The report found that DUI-related roadway deaths in the state have risen by more than 50% over the past decade.

The issue has hit home in the Coachella Valley following the October crash that killed 14-year-old Liam Cantu. The driver accused in that case is now facing a rare — but increasingly used — murder charge for DUI fatalities.

According to CalMatters, California classifies a DUI as a misdemeanor until a fourth offense within a ten-year period, unless someone is injured. This standard is far more lenient than in states like Connecticut, where a second DUI within ten years may be treated as a felony. Because of California’s higher threshold, drivers can accumulate multiple DUI arrests before ever facing felony charges — and often continue driving during that time.

Later today, county officials will discuss the measures law enforcement is rolling out to reduce DUI-related crashes and improve roadway safety in Riverside County.

And later this week, the Cantu family will share their story and explain why they are now advocating for stronger DUI laws and tougher penalties — hoping to prevent more families from experiencing the loss of a loved one to impaired driving.